Wulin Mengzhu

[PJ]

Many wuxia TV series incorporates the concept of having a Wulin Mengzhu - Wulin Director, who I guess is in charge of the entire wulin. Everybody would fight each other in bloodiness until one person killed everybody else and became the Wulin Mengzhu. Now, it seems to me this concept is not very popular in Jin Yong's world. Which Jin Yong novels actually incorporated the concept Wulin Mengzhu? (DGSD had a brief reference to one).

[HuangYushi]

Bi Xue Jian had a Wulin Mengzhu thingy at one point, but it was quite unlike the "kill everyone else so that I'm top" kind. In contrary, it was more to unite and represent the wulin in the movement to overthrow Chongzhen. The Mengzhu then was Yuan Chengzhi.

The post of Wulin Mengzhu also appeared in Xiao Ao Jiang Hu, where Zuo Lengchan strove to put himself at the very top by subduing everyone else, including the other members of the Sword Schools of the Five Peaks, Wudang and Shaolin.

To me, the Bi Xue Jian portrayal of the Wulin Mengzhu is closer to the meaning of the term, in that there is an alliance (Meng) and a leader for it (Zhu). The creation of the alliance and the selection of the leader was here done in a more positive atmosphere and for greater good, unlike in Zuo Lengchan's situation, which was more akin to a rise of a Wulin Bawang*.

HYS

*And I'm not talking about an onion here!

PS: Apologies to Suet Seung. I didn't know you had made a post soon after mine, as I was editing it to include a comparison of the forms of the Wulin Mengzhu in JY and an explanation of term Mengzhu itself.

[Suet Seung]

I believe Xiao Ao Jiang Hu had a competition for the position of Wulin Mengzhu. I thought the term was Mingzhu as in bright/smart leader.

[owbjhx]

Many wuxia TV series incorporates the concept of having a Wulin Mengzhu - Wulin Director, who I guess is in charge of the entire wulin. Everybody would fight each other in bloodiness until one person killed everybody else and became the Wulin Mengzhu. Now, it seems to me this concept is not very popular in Jin Yong's world. Which Jin Yong novels actually incorporated the concept Wulin Mengzhu? (DGSD had a brief reference to one).

Ah yes, the "wu lin meng zhu" - one of the various excuses for endless sequences of fight scenes. It also happens to be the title of Chapter 13 of Shen Diao, in which Xiaolongnu wins said position.

People have mentioned XAJH, so it's probably worth throwing Yi Tian into the mix, too - it's practically a 'beta version' of XAJH. The novel's two legendary weapons were supposed to put the wielder on the fast-track to 'meng zhu'-dom - making you "wu lin zhi zun" ("most honoured in the martial grove..."), although not until after the obligatory endless sequences of fight scenes.

[PJ]

*And I'm not talking about an onion here!

Isn't that Yangcong?

[CC]

Isn't that Yangcong?

That joke was for Singapore/Malaysian readers only.


*Bawang is Malay for onion.

[babyblues]

Wasn't Guo Jing the mengzhu in ROCH? When they were electing, Golden Wheel Monk came to challenge them.

[Ken Cheng]

Wasn't Guo Jing the mengzhu in ROCH? When they were electing, Golden Wheel Monk came to challenge them.

That's what I was thinking. I think the whole "Wulin Director" issue was never resolved in ROCH. Little Dragon Girl technically won it by not being defeated by the Golden Wheel Monk in fewer than ten moves, but she vacated the position, and then Gwok Jing got popularly elected to it.

In LOCH, I guess it was unofficially Central Divinity Wong Chung Yeung after the First Mt. Hua Sword Tournament, but the position was up for grabs again after his death. Yau Chui Gei seemed to be hinting that North Beggar Hung 7 Gung had the best claim to such a position (for his ethics as much as his martial arts).